baker



J. S. BAKER.

- SASH BALANCE.

No. 452,208. Patented May 12, 1891.

Fg 2. mg. 4:. ["111 H M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. BAKER, OF ROCHESTER, NEXV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO STEXVART dc BAKER. OF SAME PLACE.

SASH-BALANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,208, dated May 12, 1891.

Application filed March 22, 1890.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, JAMES S. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe, in the State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Sash-Balances, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements on that type of sash-balances which is shown in the patents of Byam, No. 226,488, April 13, 1880, and No. 302,981, August 5, 1884.

My improvements are fully described and illustrated in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof specified in the claims annexed to the said specification.

In the accompanying drawings, representing my improvements in sash-balances, Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 represents the notched adj listing-slide detached.

In the accompanying drawings, representing a sash-balance embodying my improvements, Ais the case, B, the roller which bears against the sash P.

O is the pivoted serrated jaw which sustains the roller.

D is the spring, and E the adj ustablenotohed slide, which determines the tension of the spring according to its position.

It will be understood that two of my improved sash-balances are to be used on each window-sash,being placed opposite each other in the casings Q .on each side of the window. When the sash is raised, the rollers B travel up the inclined jaws C, so as to release their friction on the sides of the sash; but when the sash tends to descend the rollers move downward and inward, thereby producing sufficient friction to hold the sash in any desired position, but not sufficient to prevent the sash from being pushed all the way down by hand when desired.

The casing A consists of a suitable plate arranged flush with the casing and provided with an opening, through which the roller 13 projects, and having the side bars F F pro- Serial No. 344,865. (No model.)

0 jecting inward from the outer edges of the plate. The serrated jaw is made'of a suitable shape to inclose and support the roller B, being provided with a cross-bar or pivot H at its upper end, an arm L extending inward and downward and connecting the serrated inclined portion .1 with the cross-bar, and the bent arm or foot K, against which the upper end of the springD bears. The jaw may also be provided with the strengthening-ribs N. The cross-bar H projects in each direction into suitable sockets R castwith the plate A, but open at the lower side in front, so that the cross-bar can be readily inserted therein, being secured from accidental displacement therefrom by the lug I, projecting downward from the plate. The serrations J extend all the way across the inner inclined surface of the jaw and serve to prevent the roller from turning when the sash tends to descend. The rollers are cheaply and conveniently made of some hard wood. The spring D bears at its upper end against the foot K of the jaw C, and atits lower end is placed in a suitable recess S in the casing between the sides F F. The adjustable notched slide E causes the upper end of the spring to press the lower end of the jaw and the roller toward the sash to produce the requisite friction between the roller and the window-frame. It will be observed, also, that in its lower position the roller B bears against the lower edge of the opening in the casing A, as indicated at T, Fig. 3, whereby the eifect of the serrations J in preventing the roller from turning onits axis is increased. The slide E is provided with a notch or recess U, Fig. 6, of a width corresponding with that of the spring D, and into which the spring fits, so that the slide is prevented from shifting laterally by the spring. At the corners, between the casing and the sides F F, the recesses V are formed, so that the ends of the slide E may pass over and bear against the outer edges of the bars F F, as indicated in Fig. 5. This construction allows the slide to be adjusted up and down, as indicated by the full and dotted lines in the drawings, to vary the tension of the spring from the outside and without removing the sash-balance from the window-frame. In this way the balance may be readily adjusted to any given weight of window-sash, the sash being raised or lowered in the casing sufficiently to give access to the slide through the recesses V. The slide is given a wide bearing on the sides F F, so that it is held by the friction produced by the pressure of the spring in any position to which it may be adjusted.

It will be observed that the spring D is held away from the bar G of the casing by the raised seat S at one end, and by the foot K at the other end, so that in putting the parts together the spring may be forced toward the bar G sufficiently to allow the introduction of the notched slide E, and that when the notch in the slide engages with the spring, and the force used in bending the spring to insert the slide is removed, the parts are all held in their proper relations without any possibility of displacement either before or after insertion in the window-casing.

My improved saslnbalance may be made of any desired size and weight. The parts when east properly can be put together without any fitting whatever, and the spring is simply a straight piece of sheet metal, so that the cost of production is reduced to the utmost.

The invention also possesses other advantages over prior devices for similar purposes, in that the tension of the spring may be readily adjusted for any given weight of windowsash without removing the apparatus from the window-frame, while the parts are less liable to be broken in assembling, and can consequently be manufactured at less cost.

In the device of Byam heretofore referred to no sides F F were provided. These furnish bearings for a simpler form of tensionslide than heretofore employed, and one that can be much more readily assembled with the other parts. In previous devices the slide was made in the form of an incomplete loop or link, and was applied by driving it on end- Wise of the device, and frequently several trials of different slides was required to secure one that could properly be placed in position. The sides F F of the present form can also be fitted by the carpenter more readily than the earlier construction, in applying which the mortises were very liable to be made too deep. It should be noted that the slide E of the present improvement is but slightly notched to receive the spring and has no overhanging part to prevent its side wise application. I am not the first inventor of a casing having an inclined serrated pivoted jaw combined with a roller, spring, and adjustable slide.

I claim- The combination, with the casing A, provided with the side walls F F and recesses V, formed in the upper part of said side walls to receive a slide of the inclined serrated jaw C, pivoted at its upper end in the casing, the roller B, spring D, and adjustable slide E, provided with a notch in which the spring engages, and arranged to be shifted along the straight edges of the recessed sides F F, to adjust the tension of the spring, substantially as described.

JAMES BAKER.

Witnesses:

GEO. 13. SELDEN, C. G. GRANNELL. 

